Opinion

Beating back bird flu
Though we’ve entered into a summer lull, Iowa poultry producers are staring down an uncertain future as the industry continues its ongoing fight against the dreaded bird flu virus.
There have been no new cases of the disease in Iowa since June. However, wounds from its spring outbreak are still fresh. Around 30 million...

Graffiti grinds Hampton woman’s gears
Letter to the Editor:
This letter is meant for the idiot that used spray paint on the Rolling Prairie Trail and other areas in Hampton.
Hampton is my home. I was sickened to see all the graffiti that was sprayed on the trail and buildings...

Ready or not, here it comes
A movie about rampaging dinosaurs is the king of the box office. A violent video game called “Doom” is inciting a moral panic among clueless busybodies. And now we have a Bush and a Clinton campaigning for the White House.
We are officially living in the...

Budget decisions keep Iowa’s financial health in check
As local swimming pools, lakes and rivers begin to fill up across the state, it’s hard to believe we are already in the latter part of June!
Town festivals celebrating our communities’ rich and unique heritages are well underway. County fairs...

Celebrating our dads
Dads across the country will be honored this Sunday on Father’s Day. The annual holiday gives us a chance to celebrate dad the right way and thank him for his years of dedicated parenting.
Our dads are all special in their own unique ways. They’ve watched us...

Playing With Power
It could have been me.
This Sunday, to kick off this year's E3, Nintendo brought back the Nintendo World Championship for the first time in 25 years.
Sure, if you want to be cynical, the championship is little more than a long...